IAI Introduces Suicide Drone

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has unveiled the Mini Harpy, a newly developed loitering munition, or, in terms we all understand: a suicide drone.

The loitering missiles are launched towards the target area. They loiter the sky until the threat is detected. Upon detection, the systems locks in on the threat and attacks it for a quick, lethal closure.

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The Mini Harpy combines the capabilities of the Company’s two flagship loitering missiles, the Harop and the Harpy, offering detection of broadcast radiation with electro optical capabilities.

The Mini Harpy / Courtesy IAI

The Mini Harpy will be on display for the first time at Aero India Exhibition in Bangalore, India, February 20-24 (Hall-B booth #2.1-2.2).

The Mini Harpy covers a broad area of interest and responds to a broad range of threats and launching scenarios:

• Neutralizing of radiation emitting threats such as radars and additional systems. • Electro-Optical Threat detection: high quality video footage for the operator. • Launching from a broad range of mobile land platforms as well as marine platforms. • Multiple tools per area unit.

The Mini Harpy is a tactical system designed for field or marine units. It can be launched from land, marine and helicopter borne platforms, providing complete independence in intelligence collection for an updated situational picture and closing the attack circle at low-cost.

The system was designed to provide operators with control up to the last moment, including cessation of attach at any stage. Electrically powered, it is extremely quiet, carries shaped charge of approx. 8 kg, operates in mission range of 100 km for duration of two house and 45 kg in weight.

Boaz Levy, General Manager and Executive VP of IAI Systems, Missiles & Space Group, said in a statement, “in an age of asymmetrical warfare and fast-moving targets that ‘blink’ for a few seconds at a time, the use of loitering missiles provides strong capabilities for closing the circle of war.

“Rather than relying on precise reference point, the system we developed loiters the air waiting for the target to appear and then attacks and destroys the hostile threat within seconds. The Mini Harpy is unique in its beam detection and optical capabilities, a combination of two of our loitering missile systems that sold thousands of units in Israel and abroad.”